CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF

 

CONSTITUTION

 

PREAMBLE

 

We declare and establish this constitution for the preservation and security of the principles of our faith, and that this body may be governed in an orderly manner.  This constitution will preserve the liberties of each individual member of this church and the freedoms of action of this body in its relation to other churches.

 

I. NAME

 

This body shall be known as the First Baptist Church (Incorporated) of Summit, located at Summit, Mississippi.

 

II.  PURPOSE

 

To fully know God's love and will and to reveal Him to the world as we perform His work as the Body of Jesus Christ.

 

III.  ARTICLES OF FAITH

 

Section 1. The Scriptures

 

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is the perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of erroneous teaching for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and is the written revelation of Jesus Christ, the Divine Son of God, who is the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried.

 

Section 2. The True God

 

We believe that there is one, the only one living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, whose name is JEHOVAH, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, expressing distinct but harmonious aspects of the Revelation of God.

 

Section 3.  The Fall of Man

 

We believe that man was created in holiness, under the law of his Maker; but by voluntary transgression, fell from the holy and happy state; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but choice, and therefore, under the just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse.

 

Section 4.  The Way of Salvation

 

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God; who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin; honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full atonement for our sins; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven; and uniting in His wonderful person the most tender sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all sufficient Savior.

 

Section 5. Of Justification

 

We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin, and the promise of eternal life, not on principles of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the redeemer's blood; by virtue of which faith His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; that it brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God.

 

Section 6. The Freeness of Salvation

 

We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free by all the gospel; that is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith,; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent  depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel; which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.

 

Section 7.  Grace in Regeneration

 

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or born again, that regeneration consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind; that it is affected in a manner above comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit; in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life.

 

Section 8.  Repentance and Faith

 

We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God, whereby being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with sincere contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, and relying on Him alone as the only holy and all sufficient Savior.

 

Section 9.  God's Purpose and Grace

 

We believe that Election is God's means of providing salvation through Jesus Christ, His Son, in His sacrificial living and dying.  It is bestowed due to no merit of our own, but in consideration of our accepting Him as the Lord of Life. 

 

Section 10.  Sanctification

 

We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer, and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means -- especially, the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer.

 

Section 11.  Preservation of the Saints

 

We believe that true believers are those who endure to the end; that their preserving attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguished them from superficial professors; that a special providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

 

Section 12.  The Harmony of the Law and the Gospel

 

We believe that the law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule of moral government; that it is holy, just, and good; and that the inability which the scriptures ascribe to fallen men to fulfill its precepts, arises entirely from their love of sin.  To deliver them from sin and restore them to obedience through Christ is one great end of the gospel.

 

Section 13.  A Gospel Church

 

We believe that a visible church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His deacons, who qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the Epistles of Timothy and Titus.

 

Section 14.  Baptism and the Lord's Supper

 

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, into the name of the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and the risen Savior, with its effect, in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation; and to the Lord's Supper, in which the members of the church by the sacred use of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, are to commemorate together the eternal love of Christ; preceded always by solemn self-examination.

 

Section 15.  The Lord's Day

 

We believe that the First day of the week is the Lord's Day commemorating the resurrection of Christ, and is to be kept sacred to religious purposes by refraining from secular labor, and by the devout observance of both private and public worship.

 

Section 16.  Civil Government

 

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interest and good order of human society; and that civil authorities are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed, except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience and the Price of the kings of the earth.

 

Section 17.  The Righteous and the Wicked

 

We believe that there is a radical essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem; fair all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in his sight wicked, and under the curse, and this distinction holds among man, both in and after death.

 

Section 18.  The World to Come

 

We believe that the end of this world is approaching; that in the last day Christ will descend from heaven, and raise the dead from the grave to final retribution; that a solemn separation will then take place, that the wicked will be judged to endless punishment; and the righteous to endless joy, and that this judgement will fix forever the final state of man in heaven or hell, on principles or righteousness.

 

 

 

 

 

IV.  RELATIONSHIPS

 

 

The government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose it.  It is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body, but it recognizes and sustains the obligations of mutual counsel and cooperation which are common among Baptist churches.  Insofar as is practical, this church will cooperate with and support the association and state convention affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

 

 

 

V.  CHURCH COVENANT

 

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.

 

We, engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, and the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations. 

 

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspect in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as  a beverage; to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.

 

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.

 

We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's word.

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BY LAWS

 

I.  Membership

Section 1.  General

 

This is a sovereign and democratic Baptist Church under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  The membership retains unto itself the exclusive right of self-government in all phases of the spiritual and temporal life of this church.

 

The membership reserves the exclusive right to determine on an individual basis who shall be members of this church and the conditions of such membership.

 

Section 2.  Candidacy

 

Any person may offer himself as a candidate for membership in this church.  All such candidates shall be presented to the church at any regular worship service for membership in any of the following ways:

 

1.         By profession of faith and for baptism according to the policies of this church.

 

2.         By promise of letter from another Southern Baptist Church or a church of like faith and order.

 

3.         By restoration upon statement of prior conversion experience and baptism in a Southern Baptist Church or church of like faith and order when no letter is obtainable.

 

            Should there be any dissent as to the candidate, such dissent shall be referred to the pastor and the deacons for investigation and the making of a recommendation to the church within thirty (30) days.  A three-fourths vote of those church members present and voting shall be required to elect such candidates to membership.

 

4.         By restoration upon repentance and an evidence of reformation by a member dismissed through disciplinary action.

 

 

 

Section 3.  Membership Orientation

 

After membership is approved by the church the New Members Committee shall make the new member aware of the contents of the Constitution and By-Laws, including the sections regarding stewardship in Article VIII, Church Finances, Section 3.

 

Section 4.  Voting Rights of Members

 

Every member of the church is entitled to vote at all elections and on all questions submitted to the church in conference, provided the member is present.

 

Section 5.  Termination of Membership

 

Membership shall be terminated in the following ways:

 

1.         Death;

 

2.         Dismissal to another Baptist Church, in which case the letter is granted with or without recommendations depending upon the previous faithfulness of the member while in this fellowship;

 

3.         Affiliation with a church of another faith or denomination, with or without recommendation depending upon the previous faithfulness of the members while in this fellowship;

 

4.         Exclusion by action of this church.  Should a member become an offense to the church and to its good name by reason of immoral or unchristian conduct, or by persistent breach of his covenant vows, the church may terminate his membership by a three-fourths vote, but only after due notice and hearing, and faithful efforts have been made to bring such member to repentance and amendment.

 

Section 6.  Discipline

 

Should any unhappy differences arise among members, the aggrieved member, shall follow, in a tender spirit, the rules given by our Lord in Matthew, Chapter eighteen, Verses fifteen through eighteen.

 

Should any case of gross breach of covenant, or of public scandal occur, the deacons shall endeavor to remove the offense; and if this effort fails, shall report the case to the church.

 

 

All such proceedings shall be pervaded by a spirit of Christian kindness and forbearance, but should an adverse decision be reached, the church may proceed to admonish or declare the offender to be no longer in the membership of the church by a three-fourths majority vote.

 

Any person whose membership has been terminated for any offense may be restored by a three-fourths majority vote of the church, upon evidence of his repentance and reformation.

 

II.  CHURCH OFFICERS

 

All church officers must be members of the church.  The officers of this church shall be as follows:

 

Section 1.  PASTOR

 

A.        Call.   In case of a vacancy in the pastorate, the church will elect a Ministerial Staff  Search Committee in accordance with Article VI. Section 1.

 

B.        Duties.   The Pastor is responsible for leading the church in functioning as a New Testament church, and for fulfilling his calling as a minister of the Gospel. These obligations specifically include the following:

 

(1)        To give himself to prayer and to fulfill this  injunction:  "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Work of Truth."

 

(2)        To give himself to the ministry of the Word, to preach the message of truth as he may derive it from the Word of God through the leadership of the Holy Spirit;

 

(3)        To lead the congregation and all organizations of the church to fulfill the fourfold purpose of the church, i.e., worship, proclamation, education, pastoral ministries;

 

(4)        To visit the members of the church for the purpose of spiritual counsel, admonition and comfort; to warn and reprove the unfaithful; to visit the sick; to embrace every opportunity to speak to the unsaved;

 

                        (5)        To preserve order and decorum at all meetings of the church; to secure every member without partiality the exercise of his privileges, to give his views of the law of Christ as bearing on such cases of discipline as may occur; faithfully to use that influence which justly arises from the character of his office;

 

6)       To Serve as ex-officio member of all church committees.

 

 

 

 

Section 2         Church Staff

 

Job descriptions shall be written by the personnel committee and approved by the church for all paid positions except that of the Pastor.

 

Section 3.   Deacons

 

A.        Qualifications

 

1.         Biblical

 

The basic biblical requirements for a deacon are found in the Bible in Acts 6:1-7 and I Timothy 3:8-13.

 

2.         Church

 

a.         Shall be at least twenty-five years of age

 

                                    b.         Shall have been a Christian for at least five years.

 

c.         Shall have been a member of

this church for at least two

years.

 

d.         Should attend all regular and called meetings of the deacon body.

 

                                    e.         Should be a faithful and regular supporter of the entire church program and be regular in attendance.

 

f.          Should be a supporter of the mission program of the church and denomination.

 

g.         Should believe in and practice biblical stewardship.

 

h.         Should be a man of progressive vision regarding church affairs, eager to consider a worthy proposal for an improved, enlarged, and efficient church program.

 

i.          Should be a man who conducts himself so as not to cause embarrassment to the church and to the cause of Christ.  His social and moral standards should be above question.

 

j.          Should be a man who seeks to promote and preserve the peace and unity of the church.

 

B.        Number, Election, and Term of Service

 

1.         There shall be three classifications of deacons.  One will be "Deacons in Service" or "Active Deacons" consisting of all deacons on active status.  The second will be "Deacon Emeritus."  This will consist of those men who because of age or physical limitation are unable to carry out the full responsibilities of an active deacon.  Only upon his request will his name be added to this group.  The third group will be termed "Deacon Fellowship".  It will consist of 1) deacons on active status, 2) deacons elected by this church who are not on active status,  and 3) any member who has been ordained by a sister Southern Baptist Church.  All deacons shall be able to attend regular deacons' meetings but only active deacons will have a vote.

 

2.         There shall be at least twenty-one (21) deacons on active status.  These shall be divided into three equal groups of at least seven (7) in order to facilitate the rotation system.

 

 

3.         There shall be a Screening Committee of five (5) people consisting of the pastor, chairman of deacons, and three other deacons appointed by the pastor and deacon chairman.  This committee is subject to approval by the deacon body.  If the church has no pastor, the vice chairman of deacons will serve.

 

 Two weeks prior to the April business meeting a notice of the deacon election and a list of all eligible men will be mailed to members’ homes.  This list will be provided to members during the April business meeting and each member will be allowed to nominate up to the number of vacancies that are to be filled.

 

The Screening Committee will place on a ballot twenty five names receiving the highest number of votes and meeting the qualifications.  The church will elect deacons from this ballot at its May business meeting by secret ballot vote.

 

The Screening Committee will examine each candidate to assure that they meet all qualifications starting with those with the highest number of votes until all vacancies are filled.  The results of the deacon election will be announced at the June church business meeting.

 

4.         Those elected will serve for three years beginning July 1 each year.  At the end of three years they will rotate off active status for at least one year but will remain part of the deacon fellowship.  Persons elected to fulfill unexpired terms will be eligible for election to full terms. 

 

C.        Responsibilities

 

The deacon will serve with the pastor and staff in performing these pastoral ministry tasks; proclaim the gospel to believers and non-believers, care for church members and others in the community and lead the church to engage in a fellowship of worship, witness, education ministry and application.  They will also assist in the administration of the ordinances of the church.  They will nominate a committee on committees during the February deacon's meeting to be approved by the church in the regular February business session.

 

D.        Deacon Body Organization

 

The deacon officers shall be the chairman, vice-chairman, and the secretary-treasurer.  They shall be elected by secret ballot by the active deacons who will serve during their term of office.  The officers will be elected at the July deacon's meeting.  The deacon body will meet monthly and report to the church.

Section 4         Moderator

 

The Moderator shall be elected annually.  The Nominating Committee will recommend a person to the church for election to this responsibility.  In the absence of the moderator, the chairman of the deacons shall preside, in the absence of the chairman of deacons, the vice-chairman of the deacons shall preside: or in the absence of all three, the church clerk or the pastor shall call the church to order and an acting moderator shall be elected.

 

Section 5         Clerk

 

The church elected clerk shall keep in a suitable book a record of all the actions of the church, except as otherwise herein provided.  The clerk is responsible for keeping a register of the names of members, with dates of admission, dismission, or death, together with a record of baptism.  The clerk shall issue letters of dismission noted by the church, preserve on file all communications and written official reports, and give legal notice to all meetings where such notice is necessary, as indicated in these By-Laws.  The church may delegate some of the clerical responsibilities to a church secretary.  All church records are church property and should  be filed in the church office when an office is maintained.

 

Section 6         Treasurer

 

The church shall elect annually the chairperson of the Stewardship Committee, who shall be the Church Treasurer.  It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive, preserve, and pay out, upon receipt of vouchers approved and signed by authorized personnel, all money, or things of value paid or given to the church, keeping at all times an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements.  It shall be the duty of the treasurer to render to the church at each regular business meeting an itemized report of the receipts and disbursements for the preceding month.

 

Upon rendering the annual account at the end of each fiscal year, and its acceptance and approval by the church, the records shall be delivered by the treasurer to the church clerk, who shall keep and preserve the account as part of the permanent records of all the church.

The church may delegate the clerical responsibilities to the church financial secretary, who shall be a resource person to the treasurer and stewardship committee.

 

Section 7         Corporation Officers

 

As a legal corporation, First Baptist Church of Summit shall also have the following officers: A President who will also be the Chairman of Deacons; a Vice-President who will also be the Vice-Chairman of Deacons; and a Secretary who will also be the Church Clerk.  These officers will be the ones whose signatures will be affixed to any legal transactions by the church as a corporation after approval by the church in an approved business session. 

 

 

 

III.  CHURCH MEETINGS

 

Section 1         Worship Services

 

The church shall meet regularly each Sunday morning and evening for preaching, instruction evangelism, and for the Worship of Almighty God, and on Wednesday Evening for Bible Study and Prayer unless one of these services needs to be dismissed.  The approval of the Church Council is necessary in such matters of dismissing a service.

 

Section 2         Regular Business Sessions

 

Regular business sessions shall be held on the third Sunday night of each month.  Should there be any unusual business or matter of unusual interest to be brought before such regularly monthly session, notice shall be given the membership by mail one week prior to the session.

 

Section 3         Special Called Business Sessions

 

A special called business session may be held to consider special matters of significant nature.  A one week notice must be given for the special business meeting.  The notice shall include the subject, date, time, and place; and it must be given in such a manner that all resident members have an opportunity to know of the meeting.  When extreme urgency renders such notice impractical, the one week notice may be waived; however, any decision or decisions made in an emergency situation must later be approved for a second time or ratified in a regular business meeting or a special called business meeting giving the one week's notice.

 

Section 4         Quorum

 

A quorum consists of those who attend the business session, provided it is a stated meeting or one that has been properly called.

 

Section 5         Parliamentary Procedure

 

Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, is the authority for parliamentary rules of procedure for all business meetings of the church.